Why is San Diego holding the AT&T San Diego Apps Challenge?

Mayor Sanders and the City of San Diego believe the public and software developers can play an important role in driving new ideas and innovation to enhance city services and improve quality of life for San Diegans. By providing city and partner data and a platform for sharing ideas and great new apps, the AT&T San Diego Apps Challenge invites the public and developers to do just that.

What are the criteria for the winning applications?

Software applications will be judged on the (1) Quality of the Idea (including creativity and originality), (2) Implementation of the Idea (including user experience and design), and (3) Potential impact on San Diego residents, businesses and visitors (including potential to improve city services and quality of life). For the City of San Diego Government Innovation App Award, apps will also be judged on their Impact on Quality of and Access to Government (including whether the application addresses needs in the following areas: engagement with City government, participation in the public process of City governance, City residents’ and businesses’ ability to access City services, City government ability to provide quality services, and City government coordination with other local, state and federal agencies). For the SDG&E Best Energy App award, apps will also be judged on their Impact on Energy Use (including energy efficiency measures, energy conservation and management, and management and use of electric vehicles or clean generation technologies). Popular Choice awards will be determined by public voting. For full details, review the Official Rules.

If I participate or win, do I keep ownership of my application?

Yes, all entrants, regardless of whether they win, will retain intellectual property ownership of their software applications. However, entrants must agree to make their submitted applications available for free throughout the competition period and for one year afterward.

Can I offer a paid or premium version of my app, or paid features that can be unlocked?

You can offer a paid version of your app, but the version that you submit to the challenge must be free throughout the competition and for at least one year afterward. Features that are exclusive to the paid version will not be considered by the judges. If your app includes some features that are unlocked with payment, those features should not be part of your submission. If your submission video or description includes the paid features, your submission may be disqualified.

Can my app include advertisements?

The challenge rules do not prohibit advertising in applications. Please note, however, that if the content of the ads is deemed inappropriate, your submission may be disqualified.

What will the City of San Diego and ChallengePost do with my submission?

The City of San Diego and ChallengePost (the competition administrator) will have the right to display and promote your submission to the public on the challenge website and partner sites. The City of San Diego, ChallengePost, and the Sponsors will also be allowed to publicize your name in connection with the submission and the challenge.

Can more than one person work on an application and receive credit for it? And if the app wins a prize, will the prize money be split among the creators?

Yes, teams are encouraged. If a team of individuals, a corporation, or an organization is selected as a prize winner, the administrator will divide the prize equally among the team members identified at the time of submission. It will be up to the winning team or organization to reallocate the prize money, if they deem it appropriate.

Can I enter more than one application?

Yes. There is no limit to how many times an eligible person or organization may enter. An individual may also participate on behalf of more than one team, corporation, or nonprofit organization. If you submit two or more applications that are substantially similar, the City of San Diego and the competition administrator reserve the right to disqualify submissions or require you to choose one submission to enter into the competition.

Who is eligible to enter the competition and from what countries?

The AT&T San Diego Apps Challenge is open to legal residents, 13 years of age or older, of the United States and its territories, and to legally registered corporations or organizations that are domiciled in the United States and employ fewer than 50 people at the time of entry. (See the next question for large organization eligibility.)

We are an organization. Can we enter?

Organizations with fewer than 50 employees may enter and compete for the cash prizes if they are legally established entities (for-profit, non-profit, academic) domiciled in the United States. Organizations with 50 or more employees may enter and compete for the Large Organization Recognition Award, which has no cash prize. Large Organizations must also be domiciled in the United States.

Must I use San Diego data? Where can I find it?

Why do I have to upload a video?

The Popular Choice award is determined by public voting. Some viewers may not have access to the desktop, web, or mobile platform you used to build your app. A video helps ensure that all users can view and experience your app. The video will also be helpful to the panel of judges. Your video should clearly and concisely show the functionality and purpose of your app. You may create a screencast or use a handheld video camera to make your video, or choose any other method that captures the app’s value and user interface. Your video is not required to have audio, but narration may help viewers understand and appreciate your app.

What are the key competition dates?

The submission deadline for applications is April 11, 2012, at 5 p.m. PST. Judging and public voting will begin on April 25, 2012 at 10 a.m. PST, and will end May 23, 2012 at 5 p.m. PST. Winners will be announced on or around June 13, 2012.

How do I enter?

On SDAppsChallenge.com click Accept this challenge to register your interest in participating. This step ensures that you will receive important challenge updates.

Explore the San Diego data. To suggest datasets you would like to see included, follow the instructions on the Data tab. Datasets may be added until February 15, 2012.

Create a working software application that uses at least one dataset from the San Diego data.

Confirm that you have read and agree to the Official Rules, and submit your application by including a link to it, a video demonstrating how it works, a text description, and at least one photograph.

Note: It’s important to include a video of your app. Some people may not have access to your app platform and will rely on the video. Be sure to create a video that clearly and concisely shows the functionality and purpose of your app, as well as the data used.

Does my app need to have store approval prior to the submission deadline?

No, but your app should be submitted to the relevant app store for review by the submission deadline and you will need to provide us with access for testing (see next question for details).

How can I provide ChallengePost with access to test my app if it hasn’t been approved yet by the relevant app store?

iOS Apps

If you developed an iOS app and it has not yet been approved by the app store, you can send it to us via TestFlight. Enter our email address and UDID to share a build with us for testing.

Does my application have to be new for this competition?

No, your application does not have to be created for this competition, provided it meets all of the submission requirements outlined in the Official Rules. Your application cannot be substantially similar to an application that you previously entered and won a prize for in another competition.

Will more data be added during the competition?

New datasets may be added to the San Diego data during the competition period until February 15, 2012. After that date no new datasets will be added, but individual datasets may be updated. You may want to check the datasets periodically to see if your data sources have been updated.

What if I have questions about the data?

If you have questions about the data, please use the email contact address provided for the dataset on the Data tab.

How does public voting work?

Visitors to the site can vote for as many submissions as they like, but no more than once per day for a single submission. At the end of the public voting period, the votes will be tallied and verified to determine the Popular Choice award winners.

How do I follow the AT&T San Diego Apps Challenge and receive updates?

Sign up on the challenge website and click Follow or Accept this challenge to receive email updates. Follow us on Twitter: @SDApps

Who can I contact if I have a question about the AT&T San Diego Apps Challenge?